


Reef Bound

by Little_Wintry



Series: Destiny 1 [5]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, More D1 Adventures, Original Character(s), The Reef (Destiny), probably, should I have just tacked this on as a chapter to the first one?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Wintry/pseuds/Little_Wintry
Summary: After a brief encounter on Venus, Zelun finds herself directed to the Reef - a place she's been longing to go since she first learned of it.
Series: Destiny 1 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745218
Kudos: 3





	Reef Bound

The exo’s eyes burned into Zelun. “Have you heard of the Black Garden?”

Pirul responded before she did. “We’ve heard the legends,” He said, despite the fact that Zelun hadn’t.

“The greatest threat to us all lies there, where those machines are born.” The exo’s eyes narrowed. “Find the Black Garden. Rip out it’s heart. Only then will your Traveler begin to heal.”

Pirul tilted in his shell. “Can you help us find it?”

“My path is my own. I cannot.”

Pirul turned towards Zelun hesitantly. “If we want to find the Black Garden, we need to see the Awoken.”

Zelun’s heart almost stopped. They were finally going to see them?

“Ah, yes,” The exo said. “The Awoken. Out there, wavering between the Light and the Dark. A side should always be taken, Little Light. Even if it’s the wrong side.”

But Zelun wasn’t paying attention. Her entire body buzzed with the possibility she might finally be able to see where she was from, see her people. There had always been a tether around her heart, pulling her out into the stars and now she would be able to follow it out to wherever it led her.

Towards home.

After the Stranger left, her and Pirul hopped in their ship and set course for the Asteroid Belt.

~ ~ ~

As they gained entrance into the Reef, Zelun’s heart was pounding - the tether had only grown stronger, like the pull of a black hole, driving her deeper into the Reef.

She had to try and steady herself to make sure she wouldn’t trip as the two Corsairs, both of whom she felt like had given her strange looks when they saw the Ghost over her shoulder, as they directed her down a long catwalk over infinity.

They reached the edge, to a large throne and a man standing just beside it, his skin ghostly blue and his hair crow-black. His eyes were like bonfires. 

“So-” He scanned Zelun head-to-toe, pursing his lips. “These are the trespassers demanding an audience.”

Pirul peeked over Zelun’s shoulder. “We didn’t mean to trespass.”

“The Queen herself-” He said, a bite to his words, and Zelun’s pulse quickened at that word again; Queen. “Judges who may or may not enter this realm.”

“Me?” The man smirked and came close. “I see no reason she should be available for whatever _washes up_ on the Reef.” His eyes narrowed. “But here we are.” He thrust his thumbs into his belt and studied Zelun.

She lifted her chin, trying to keep calm. “We’ve come to ask for help.”

An alien snarl attacked Zelun’s senses. Behind the man, two Vandals - in house colors she didn’t recognize - came out from the throne, spears ready.

“Fallen!” Pirul shouted.

Instinct kicked in. Zelun shoved a guard back, taking the sidearm and- 

The man’s knife was at her throat, grabbing her wrist. The two locked eyes, a silent, raging fury shot between the two of them like a charge of static.

“It is afraid of the Fallen.”

Zelun almost dropped the sidearm. That voice - the only familiar thing in her life since she awoke as a Guardian, a voice that she could have sworn she knew-

A woman walked out from behind the throne. Crystalline white hair, icy blue eyes - she knew who this was. Mara Sov, the Queen - _her_ Queen.

She spread her arms. “It does not understand these ones are mine.” She sat down in the throne cross legged as the Vandals relaxed. 

Zelun was still paralyzed as the guard jerked her sidearm out of Zelun’s hand, and the man pulled his knife back with a glare, before he turned around and bowed gracefully to Mara Sov.

“Apologies… your Grace.” He shot a dirty look to Zelun.

Pirul nudged her from behind, sending a silent message: _Stop staring. Remember what we’re here for._

“I’m a Guardian, from Earth.” Zelun lifted her chin and saw a miniscule change of expression from the Queen. “We’re searching for the Black Garden.”

“Why?” The man asked.

“We seek to destroy the Darkness at its heart.”

“So you want to turn it into a battleground?” He asked, raising his eyebrows in mocking shock. “How… unimaginative.”

“Do… do you know where it is?”

“Everyone knows where it is.” He snarled, making Zelun jump. “The hard part is _getting in._ ”

“Can you help us?”

The man stepped back towards her, each heavy footfall echoing and his eyes blazing. “And why… would we… do that?”

A beat of silence. Then-

Mara. “The Queen requests counsel with her brother.” He scowled at Zelun then walked over and knelt by his sister.

A spark lit up deep in Zelun’s memory. _Queensbrother, Master of Crows-_

“Yes,” He said, glancing back at Zelun with a sneer. “That’s good, that’s good.” Finally, he stood once more. 

“Why not?” He said, stepping halfway down, narrowing his eyes at Zelun. “We’ll make you a key, how’s that? All we need is the head of a Vex Gate Lord.”

Beside her, Zelun felt Pirul quiver. “A-A Gate Lord? Uh, we-” He turned to Zelun, desperate for an excuse.

Instead, Zelun merely tilted her head. “Why do you need a Vex head?”

“Oh, we don’t,” The Queensbrother said with a cocky smile. “And I doubt we’ll get one, either.” He began to walk back and stand beside the throne. “But it’s your only hope of getting into the Black Garden.”

Steeling her nerves, Zelun met the Queensbrother with equal confidence. “We will return.”

“Or die on Venus,” She watched as he tried to conceal a smile, before his stare turned cold. “Either way.”

Finally, Zelun met the Queen’s eyes one last time. Her face was unreadable, but Zelun could have sworn there was a glimmer of emotion beneath the cold surface. A subtle expression that screamed ‘ _We’ve met before’._

Pirul nudged Zelun’s shoulder, and she turned on her heel, walking back over the catwalk.

**Author's Note:**

> God, I love writing my Hunter from her D1 days - no trauma, no angst, just some good old fashioned Guardian shenanigans and adventures. At least until Taken King comes around. Then it all goes to shit. The formatting is probably still fucked - I'm trying to get the hang of it.


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